Railroad-signal.



PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

A. HAUTY. RAILROAD SIGNAL.

APPLICATION IILED FEB. 2a. 1907.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wihwwea No.' 860,468. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. A. HAUTY.

RAILROAD SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HAUTY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed February 28, 1907. Serial No. 359,753.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT I'IAUTY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State. of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Signals, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad signals and to means for operatingthe same, and it has for its object to provide a signal which shall beautomatically set by a train passing around a curve to indicate dangerto a train approaching from the opposite direction upon the same line ofrails, so as to avoid disastrous collisions which frequently occur whentrains approach each other from opposite directions upon the same lineof rails when there is an intervening curve which prevents the engineerof each train from observing the other one approach.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will .be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theinvention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a railroad curveadjacent to which signals constructed in accordance with this inventionhave been placed. Fig. 2 is a side view showing in elevation one of theposts carrying the signal lights. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of aportion of the track showing the means for actuating the signal. Fig. 4is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the track taken on theplane indicated by the line 44 in Fig. 3, and showing also a portion ofa truck having means for engaging the signal actuating mechanism.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are de noted by likecharacters of reference.

A designates a railroad track the rails of which 22 form a distinctcurve, at B, the radius of said curve being so short that observation ofthe track for a considerable distance ahead will be impossible to the engineer of a train approaching the curve from either end. For convenienceof description the ends of the curve will be designated respectivelyeast and west.

At a suitable distance from each end of the curve, adjacent to theopposite line rails, are placed guard rails 33'*, and upon said guardrails, at the ends thereof which are distant from the curve,.are pivotedlevers 44, each disposed to swing in an approximately horizontal plane.Each of the levers 4-4 is connected with suitably guided flexiblemembers 5 which are placed under tensionby weights 6. It will be seenthat the guard rail 3 with its related parts is placed adjacent to thesouth rail of the track at the east end of the curve while the guardrail 3 and related parts is placed at the west end of the curve andadjacent to the north rail of the track. Adjacent to the south rail ofthe track and to the west of the curve is placed a guard rail 8, andanother guard rail 8 is placed adjacent to the north rail of the trackand to the east of the curve. Upon these guard rails, at the ends ofsaid rails which are near the curve, are pivoted levers 9-9 with whichare connected flexible members 10 which are under tension by weights 11whereby the lovers are moved in the direction of the track railsadjacent to which the guard rails carrying said lovers are placed. Bythis arrangement it will be seen that two guard rails are placedadjacent to one of the track rails, with the curve B intervening whiletwo other guard rails are placed adjacent to the opposite track railwith the curve intervening.

A suitably guided flexible connecting member 12 connects the free endsof the lovers 4 and 9 which are pivoted-upon the guard rails 3 and 8adjacent to the south rail of the track; said flexible element beingguided beneath the north rail and adjacent to the north side of thelatter. In like manner a flexible element, suitably guided, connects thefree ends of the levers 4 and 9 which are pivoted upon the guard rails 3and 8 adjacent to the north rail of the track, said flexible elementbeing guided beneath the south rail of the track and south of thelatter. Each of the flexible elements includes a plurality of bellcranks 14, arranged wherever needed to enable the curve to be rounded;and each of said flexible elements is wound upon a plurality ofvertically disposed posts or uprights 15, disposed at suitable intervalsin bearings as shown at 16 in Fig. 2 of the drawings; said postscarrying at their upper ends signals such as lanterns 17 which, byrocking the posts in their bearings may be turned so as to exposedifferent sides to approaching trains.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the levers pivotedupon the guard rails adjacent to the south rail of the track will beadapted to be operated by means connected with a train approaching thecurve from the east, while the levers pivoted upon the guard railsadjacent to the north rail of the track will be adapted to be operatedby means connected with the train approaching the curve from the west.It will further be noticed that the relative arrangement of the leversand the flexible connecting means is such that when the free end of thelever at one end of the flexible connection is swung outward in thedirection of the middle of the track, the other lever will be swung inthe direction of the guard rail upon which it is pivoted. Normally thefree ends of the levers 4 and 4 which are distant from the curve will bepositioned in the direction of the middle of the track in the path ofthe operating means connected with approaching trains, which I will nowproceed to describe.

Upon an axle 18, which may be one of the axles of an engine tender isplaced a disk or wheel 19, said wheel being disposed to one side of thelongitudinal center line of the truck, so that it will engage the lever4 or P as the train approaches the curve from either end. Assuming, forthe purpose of illustration that a train approaches the curve from theeast; the wheel 19 will engage the lever 4 and rock the latter upon itsfulcrum, thus exerting tension upon the flexible member 12 and throughthe latter upon the lever 9, which latter will be moved into the path ofthe wheel 19 of the approaching train, as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. By the movement of the flexible member 12, the posts 15 uponwhich said flexible element is Wound will be rocked a suflicientdistance to expose a danger signal to a train approaching the curve fromthe opposite or west end. When the lever 9 is actuated by the train, thecurve has been passed, and the view of the track ahead will beunobstructed; by contact with the lever 9, the operating wheel 19 rockssaid lever and restores the mechanism, including the signals to itsoriginal or normal position. i

It will be seen that by this simple mechanism, the approaches to a curvewill be efiiciently guarded; danger signals being automatically exposedto trains approaching from either direction by the action of operatingmeans connected with trains approaching from the opposite directions.The mechanism will also be automatically recessed, and will require nomanual attention. The improved signal may be constructed and installedat a moderate expense and, after installation, may be operatedpractically without further expenditure.

The improved device is simple, and thoroughly efficient and practical.for the purposes for which it is devised.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. Arailroad signal including guard rails placed adjacent to a track rail,levers pivoted upon said guard rails at the ends of said rails pointingto an approaching train, suitably guided flexible elements under tensionconnected with said levers and tending to move them in the direction ofthe line rail adjacent to which the guard rails are disposed, a suitablyguided flexible element extending be neath the opposite line rail guidedadjacent to the latter, vertical posts supported for oscillation andcarrying suit able signals said posts being engaged and actuated by theflexible element, and lever pperating means connected with an axle of arailroad train to one side of the longitudinal center line; the leversbeing so disposed and connected by the flexible element that only one ofsaid levers shall be exposed in the path of the operating mechanism atany one time.

2. In a railroad signal of the character described, a pair of guardrails, levers pivoted upon said guard rails and adapted to swinghorizontally above the guard rails, vertically disposed signal carryingposts mounted for oscillation, a flexible element, suitably guided, andwound upon the signal carrying posts, and means for placing the leversand the flexible connecting element under tension.

in testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT HAUTY.

'itnesses JOHN Mlin'rre, LOUIS RUBIN.

